Trolley-wheel guard.



VNo. 868,780. PATENTED OCT. 22, 1907.

o. HARKNBSS.

TROLLEY WHEEL GUARD` APPLIOATION FILED Hume. 1905.

WlTN 5555s'. INVENTOH,

ATTO R N EY UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

CHARLES IIARICNESS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE HARKNESS TROLLEY SYSTEM COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

TROLLEY-WHEEL GUARD.

Speeoation of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct.l 22, 1907.

To all whom` it may concern.'

lie it known that l, CHARLES I-IaniiNEss, a citizen ol the United States` residing at Providence, in the county oi' Providence and State oi' Rhode Island, have invented ce1 tain new and useful Improvements in Tr()lley-Whiwl Guards, ot" which the following is a speciiication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to trolley wheel, guards, and has l'or its objects the ends commonly sought in such devices and analogous structures, including the retention el the trolley-wlual in engagement with the Yleedwire while ri'iunding curves; but more particularly to provide a guarding means available i'or retaining the trolley-wheel in contact with the circuit-wire while traversing switches.

A further object is to provide a structure adapted to use upon a leed wire equipped with switches ol' varying` lengths and l'ornuj. and tinally, to furnish a means lor guiding the trolley-wheel on to the wire while leav ing the switch.

My invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination oll parts hereinaiter set iorth and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure l is an end view ol a trolley equipped with my `new guard. Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, side elevations of the same showing the successive positions oi the guard in passing a switch, and Fig. G, a side elevation of a modified l'oim ol' my invention.

Like rel'erence charm'ters indicate like parts throughout the views.

In the drawings, A is the pole, l5 the i'ork, O the spindle, and D the trolley wheel, ol' usual l'orm. in conjunction with which my guard is employed. The latter comprises two llat oblong bars or plates, E, loosely mounted upon the spindle, O, carrying upon their upper extremities heads or disks, H2, and upon their opposite ends similar members, H3. Both sets ol' disks have convex inner laces and are provided upon their outer laces with studs, It', loosely journaled in both extremities ol' the bars, E. The latter are provided with an oblong opening, k, adjacent their bearings upon the spindle, l, in which is mounted a helical spring. lf3. The openings, luf, are located a little to one side oi1 the longitudinal center ol' the bar E.

,ln the modilied structure shown in `Fig. G the disks or heads, HL and H3 are mounted upon the ends ol' the arms o1' bell crank levers, E and E2, pivotally mounted on the spindle, C, whose l'ree arms are connected by an extension spring, if".

The operation oi' my device in passing a switch is shown in the drawings. wherein l represents a trolley switch, and 'i its llange. The `normal position of each bar, E, is vertical, but when a switch is reached, as

shown in Fig. 3, the head, H2, rolls downwardly in contact therewith, and the bar tilts or swings or rocks, bringing the head, H3, upward. Ii the switch is short, the head, Il, in rising contacts with the leed wire' heyond the switch. The switch, however, herein shown is oi c ,nsiderable length, irequently Ylound at a bridge. In this case, the rising head, H3, contacts with the bottom switch flange, as the pole, A, advances, and the head, H'Z, rolls along the flange bottom, the parts assuming the position shown in Fig. 4. That is, the bar, E, and heads are in a horizontal position, and the spring, lf2, is under tension. As the parts advance to the position shown in Fig. 5, the head, H3, rises, and the spring l'orces the head above the plane oi the switch.

Similar in operation and results is the modified structure shown in Fig. 6.

It will be observed that my device comprises an auxiliary guarding means acting automatically in advance of the trolley wheel as the latter leaves the crossing or switch, a means which is in guarding position during the entrance and departure ol the wheel upon the switch', and a means which in normal position is eiiective while passing curves.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

l. The comhinationwith a trolley-wheel and the spindle on which said wheel is mounted, ol a pair of guard plates loosely mounted upon the spindle and rotary disk shaped heads having convex inner faces mounted upon both ends ot said plates.

2. The combination with a trolley-wheel and the spindle on which said wheel is mounted, or' a pair of guard plates loosely mounted upon the spindle, heads loosely mounted upon both ends of the plates, and spring means in the plates adjacent the spindle bearings for permitting the plates to yield vertically.

3. The combination with a trolley-wheel and the spindle on which said wheel is mounted, of a pair of guard plates provided intermediate their length with openings pivot ally mounted upon the spindle, and spiral springs mounted,

in said openings and bearing,- against che spindle.

4. The combination with the trolley wheel and spindle on which the trolley wheel is mounted, of a pair of disconA nccted guard plates pivotally mounted ott their centers upon the spindle, and bearing means upon both ends of the guard plates.

5. The combination with the trolley wheel and spindle on which the trolley wheel is mounted, of a pair of disconnected guard plates pivotally mounted upon the spindle, and rotary disk shaped heads having convex inner faces bearing means upon the ends of the guard plates.

G. The combination with the trolley wheel and spindle upon which the trolley wheel is mounted, of guard plates provided intermediate their length and oit center' with openings pivotally mounted on the spindle, and yielding means mounted in said openings and bearing against the spindle.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES HARKNESS.

Witnesses l HonATIo E. BnLLows, WILLIAM E. BROWN. 

